Second Best
by walked-into-the-sky
Summary: Kaitou finally finds his niche.


One shot. Some shounen ai, but it's not in the forefront. I have writer's block.

Summary: Kaitou finally finds his niche.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. No money is being made off of this story, I'm writing it purely for my own entertainment.

There's no real timeline to this. It just sort of happens this way.

_Begin._

He knows her from somewhere; he just can't remember the context or setting.

"Hi," she's very pretty and her brown eyes are big and innocent, "You're Kaitou Yuu, right?"

"Yes," he says haltingly and she smiles a kind sort of smile. He just _can't_ place it, "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Maya," she offers her hand, her head cocked _just so_ and he suddenly, randomly remembers.

"_Oh Kaitou, do you know that girl?" his mother is staring at the television with one hand on her hip and the other on her forehead. She's distressed, but she always gets that way about missing children, especially because they're not hers._

_Big brown eyes and thick brown hair. The picture shows two missing teeth and is clearly outdated. But yeah, he knows her. She's Maya._

Maya, the girl who, once upon a time, loved _Shuichi_.

He catches sight of himself in the glass behind her head as he shakes her hand. His smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asks.

He hesitates.

--

Two days after they beat Sensui, Kaitou walks in on Hiei and Kurama with their hands down each other's pants and their tongues in each other's throats. They're in some classroom, school's been long out, and he sort of stands there staring like _are you serious?_ Shuichi's got ninety percent of the girls at Meiou pining over his very existence and he's messing around with a short demon and a crap attitude?

"Oh," Kaitou sort of squeaks, then feels stupid.

And _then_ he realizes, it's so typical, isn't it?

They're both kind of staring at him, daring him to say something offensive or rude. He opens his mouth, because he knows he should say something intelligent, and out comes, "You should really do that somewhere else."

Hiei bristles and Kurama sags. Kaitou wonders vaguely if it's with relief or _something else._

"You're quite right," the redhead says, but his…boyfriend? Lover? Accomplice? Whatever. He's already two steps ahead and the door opens and slams behind him. Kurama sighs and drags a hand through his hair.

"What would you have done?" Kaitou blurts. Green eyes fasten on his.

"What?"

"If it hadn't been me," he elaborates, "What would you have done?"

Kurama stares for a moment and for the second time in his life Kaitou realizes that his closest friend is a fucking _demon_. He sort of feels sick, but at the same time sort of powerful.

"Does it matter?" the fox asks softly.

"I guess not," he concedes.

--

Kurama represents a lot of firsts for him. He was his first arch nemesis (though really, that whole thing was sort of pathetic) and his first best friend (first friend, if he's being honest). First real _fight, _though, really, what had happened between them could hardly be classified as such. Kaitou's always cared far too much about the other boy; what he was doing, who he was doing it with. It borders on obsession, loathe as he is to admit it, but somehow it had always _mattered._ What he fears most is that he'll never be able to let it go.

Maya wants tutoring. They've got some huge exams coming up and she's worried. What doesn't make sense, however, is—

"Why didn't you go to Shuichi?" he asks, because he just can't stop himself. She blinks at him, big brown eyes wide with _something_ he can't place.

"Shuichi Minamino?" she picks idly at her thumb nail. There's a pile of books on the table between them. He stares, "I don't really know," she admits, "You just seem more approachable."

_Approachable._ He, Yuu Kaitou, is more approachable than Shuichi Minamino.

Fan-_fucking_-tastic.

--

He walks in on Kurama and Hiei again, two months later. This time they have the grace to choose the roof, but the redhead's shirt is definitely falling off and his—_boyfriend? Mate? Partner?_—well, _his_ cloak is missing in action, anyway. And it's lunch period and he isn't in the mood for Hiei's constant attitude problem.

"I need to talk to Kurama," he tells the demon flatly. For a second, Kaitou's sure that he's pushed the shorter man too far and that he should probably be preparing for the sensation of his throat being torn out. But then Kurama lifts a hand and Hiei takes off so fast Kaitou gets whiplash.

"What's on your mind?" the redhead is _buttoning_ his fucking _shirt_. It's sort of distracting (though, Kaitou has to admit, _that's _gotten better, as of late), so he swallows and looks at the city skyline rather than at him.

"Maya," he says. Kurama stops just as he's reaching for the top button, his brow furrowed. There's this weird sort of pause and, Kaitou realizes, it's their first awkward silence. For a moment it's like they're in a vacuum and a rushing noise fills his ears. Then Kurama looks up.

"What about her?" he asks slowly and Kaitou notices a hickey under his left ear. Hiei's a freak.

"_You_ and her," he probably should have mentioned that the first time. But it's not his fault that Kurama sometimes—sort of—looks like a girl, "What happened?"

Kurama's eyes sharpen inexplicably. He picks at his thumb nail distractedly. Kaitou stares, "I'm not sure what you mean," the redhead hedges, "Maya and myself have been distant acquaintances for as long as I can—"

Kaitou is _so_ done with this shit.

"Cut the crap," he snaps and Kurama's expression turns bemused. Oh, because the genius finally grew some balls? He's in for one _huge_ surprise, "You two were—well, I don't exactly remember, most don't. _She _doesn't. But you two were _something_, I'm sure of that."

The fox is quiet for a moment, studying him with something akin to pride. And _that's _just a little annoying and seriously, does everyone think he's purely academic? But before he can defend his own honor or whatever, his_ friend_ starts speaking gently, "The insolence of youth," he says, "She thought she'd found her soul mate. I was drawn to her because she knew I was different and didn't care. I suppose it could be said that we were _in love_," Kurama's smile is cynical. That's annoying too, "But we were also fourteen. I took her memories because I was too dangerous. She no longer feels anything for me."

Kaitou feels cheated. Kurama always sees right through him.

"You removed that part of her," he accuses, "Theoretically, she'd still be in love with you. So it's not real."

"_It_?" Kurama cocks his head, "Kaitou, I assure you, I am _not_ Maya's soul mate. And she would have realized that, eventually, had I let things run their natural course. Incidentally, it was through her that I met Hiei."

He says it strangely, that last sentence, as though it is the first time he's admitted something out loud. Kaitou wonders vaguely if he'd just heard some huge confession, then decides he doesn't care. He's not as handsome as Kurama, after all (or rather, good looking, because he's sort of beautiful from other angles) and obviously he's not as smart (stupid, _fucking_ grades) and he's just tired of the whole _tortured former demon _thing

"I'm tired of being second best," he says flatly.

Kurama lowers his eyelids slightly.

"I am too."

--

The first time they study together, Maya laughs at his jokes.

It gets harder after that.

--

The third time he stumbles upon them, he's sure that Hiei's going to lose his shit.

"What are you, a _stalker_?" he snarls as Kurama calmly pulls up his pants. There had been a visible penis. Kaitou feels rather light headed.

"No," he says weakly, "You guys really should do that somewhere more private."

Though, they are in a_ private_ bathroom and Kaitou _had_ seen Kurama go in. By chance, though. Which means he's not a stalker. In any way.

"Do you want to talk about Maya?" Kurama asks and Hiei snorts with obvious disdain.

Kaitou considers lying. He considers spinning some story about _test schedules _and _college_, but those green eyes take on that _look_ and the words _lie and I will fucking kill you_ are written all over his friend's face. Obviously Kurama's just as done with the whole _oops, sorry I walked in on your sex_ thing as Kaitou himself is.

"Uh. Yeah?" he says. Hiei rolls his eyes.

--

Midterms are a week away. Maya's freaking out.

"Who came up with these—these _things_, anyway?" she demands of no one in particular as they're gathering up their respective belongings after their seventh study session together, "Some sort of sick sadist, I bet."

A laugh slips from him before he can stop it. Maya shoots him this strange sort of smile, her previous misery suddenly completely absent. "Probably," he agrees softly. She puts her hand on his wrist.

"Thank you so much for helping me with this, Kaitou," she says, "You've got the patience of an angel."

An _angel_?

A stupid sort of grin spreads across his face.

Never, in all the years he's known Kurama, has _Shuichi Minamino _ever been referred to as an _angel_.

He feels like he's won one for once.

--

Kurama stops him in the hallway the next day with a hand on his upper arm.

"You should know," he says softly, "that I heard Maya tell some of her friends that she likes you."

Kaitou blinks once, twice and then shakes his head.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Kurama smiles, "Wing man," he explains. And_ what_? Words like that weren't meant to come out of perfect Shuichi's mouth. It's sort of like they're in some warped alternate universe. Kaitou's quite sure his eyes are falling out of his head, or at least pushing his glasses down his nose.

"Wing man?" he echoes lamely.

"Yusuke," Kurama clarifies with fake innocence.

_Oh._

--

Kaitou goes to Genkai because he's running out of excuses. She looks at him like he's got multiple, oozing zits or something.

"You want _girl advice_?" she says incredulously, "You've gotten stupider."

He resents that. He's not stupid, at least not academically.

"_You_ try being second best to Kurama your whole life and then finding out that the girl you might possibly feel connected to used to be in love with _him," _he snaps in his own defense, then inexplicably feels ridiculous. Genkai rolls her eyes.

"You're the only reason you're second best to Kurama," she says coldly, "Grow some balls, for God's sake."

"But—," he begins, because he hadn't really listened and he needs more reasons, "Genkai, I need—!"

She throws her empty tea cup at his head and gets to her feet.

"I don't want to see you again until you've got that girl, _am I clear?_"

Kaitou rubs the large lump she gave him and scowls.

That was _not _what he came looking for.

"Yes," he mumbles.

--

Kurama laughs in his face when Kaitou tells him about his run in with Genkai. They're on the school roof at lunch and for once Hiei isn't been around to stick his hands down Kurama's pants. He wonders vaguely if they're in a fight (those green eyes had been sort of down since yesterday, he'd just been too self obsessed to notice until now) and then decides he doesn't care. Because again, not what he came looking for and he's not indulging Kurama if Kurama won't indulge him. Powerful people suck.

"I don't know why you expected any different," Kurama pushes his hair off of his face and smiles kindly, "She's right, though, Kaitou. The only thing holding you back right now is _you_."

"Forgive me for not having your confidence," Kaitou mumbles to his knees. The fox hums in his throat.

"It's not confidence when you know she likes you back," he says reasonably.

_Ugh._

He's so sick of Kurama being right.

--

The night before midterms, Maya is inexplicably in his bedroom.

He's not sure how it happened. He'd gotten home, he'd eaten something and then his mother had come to his room to tell him that a very pretty girl was at the door for him. And then they'd studied. Again.

She's sitting on his bed, her hair tucked behind her ears and her brow furrowed as she pours over algebra. She's been chewing her eraser for the past half hour and Kaitou can't remember the last time he'd seen something to endearing. He glances at the clock on his bedside table.

"Shit," he says. Maya stares.

"Uh, it's midnight," he flaps his arm in the general direction of the clock and his face heats up horribly, "And, um, well, I mean, how are you getting home?"

She looks surprised for a fraction of a second, but then smiles, "Oh, there's a bus stop not far from here, it'll be fine," she begins gathering up her books. Kaitou scrambles to help her.

"Do you want me to walk you there?" he asks and his voice comes out too high and too nervous. Maya shakes her head.

"No, that's alright. I'll only be waiting for about five minutes," she's already starting to his bedroom door so he rises jerkily from his mattress and follows her. Something about this situation feels final; he can sense his chances slipping from his fingers, he's just not sure why. And suddenly they're at the bottom of the stairs, right next to the front door, and there's perspiration gathering on his upper lip.

Maya turns to him and stares like she expects something. He's at a complete and utter loss. This isn't the world of academia and he's far out of his depth.

"Thank you," she says, "for helping so much with my studying. You're a life saver."

Is he really? He feels like he can't save his own life right now, let alone someone else's.

"It was nothing," he mutters.

She smiles, but through his haze he can see the disappointment. It's written all over her face, but she's stronger than he is because she's reaching for the door handle. And this, _this_ is his last chance.

"Maya," he grabs her arm and she turns to glance at him. Her mouth begins to form a word—_what_—but he doesn't have a proper answer. He panics and decides he can't let her ask that question.

He kisses her instead.

--

After their last midterm, Kaitou walks into the boy's bathroom on the second floor and finds Hiei with his pants around his ankles.

"Er," he says and Kurama's head appears over Hiei's shoulder. He grins.

"Congratulations."

"Seriously, guys," Kaitou says, "If I had been _anyone _else—!"

Hiei throws a shoe at his head.

"Get the fuck out of here."

Kurama laughs. Kaitou rolls his eyes and does as he's told. He's _so _done seeing the full _expression_ of the sex lives of two _demons_.

Also, he'd promised Maya he'd meet her for dinner.

--

A/N: Honestly, I have no idea. It just sort of happened. Please review.


End file.
